Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
by Difinity
Summary: There's no shame in taking care of someone you care about. CloudxAerith


Braveheart soundtrack dribble

Very slightly AU

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII © Square Enix

-

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

-

Cloud's been gone an awfully long time…do you think he's all right?

I'm sure he's fine. I'd have a little more faith in him if I were you, Tifa. I've known him for only a short while and I trust him with my life.

I do trust Cloud! I just know that sometimes, he can't think straight. I remember as a child he would always…um…

…Would always what?

Nothing. It's nothing important. Sorry, I shouldn't bring up embarrassing stories of Cloud; he'd be angry.

Hmm…Hey, Tifa.

Yes?

How well did you know Cloud when you were kids?

-

Yes…so I see.

What's wrong?

…It appears that Cloud fell ill while scouting the surrounding areas. It is…surprising.

Huh, I guess only Cloud could wuss out so easily.

…Heh…

Hey hey! I guess you can laugh after all! &!$, who would've thought…

Hmm…Shall I inform Aerith?

Yeah…she should know.

-

If it's too personal a question, I'm sorry Tifa.

N-no! It's not that, it's just that I --

…Excuse me, Aerith.

Ah, Vincent! What's wrong?

It appears that Cloud has fallen ill while out. Barret is bringing him back.

B-but this area…we've been here before! Why would he be out, I mean, he hasn't been feeling well lately, he knows he should've stayed here at the ranch with the rest of us. I'll go get Billy and --

Thank you for telling me, Vincent. I'll go to Cloud's room and wait until he comes back.

Very well.

Aerith, how can you smile at a time like this? Cloud shouldn't have been out there!

Like I said before…I trust Cloud.

-

Warmth.

That was the first sensation he felt.

He could feel it spreading throughout his body, warming his chilled bones. It was a welcoming feeling, one that he associated with the pleasantries in life that were rare to him. He couldn't quite place the last time he had felt such a feeling, but knew it was recent. Then again, he recently began to experience many feelings that he hadn't felt before. They were warm and comforting…horribly confusing and at times obscured his judgment, therefore creating a lack of it, but the feelings weren't at all unwelcome. Each time he experienced this feeling, it became more and more tantalizing and he wanted more of it.

He was tired…but he stirred until his eyes began to flicker and gradually opened, absorbing the light from the nearby window. He shut his eyes again instinctively but attempted to open them once more when he felt that warmth he had grown so accustomed to. A light, flowery scent accompanied the warmth as well.

Cloud could see the outline of a figure sitting beside him. It took a few moments before his eyes grew accustomed to the lighting and in the midst of his haze, made out a pair of emerald eyes that were focused on him.

'Warmth…yeah…I should've known…'

"Aerith?" he croaked, his voice weary.

Aerith smiled at him, her lips pursed together and her eyebrows furred in slight concern. She leaned forward and brushed a few stray locks of blond hair away from his eyes. Cloud, despite himself, felt his cheeks flush brightly in guilty pleasure at having the lovely flower girl take care of him. That and he was embarrassed. After all, he was her bodyguard and should be taking care of her, not the other way around. Yet despite it all, Cloud took great comfort in knowing that Aerith, being the person she was, would be there to assure him that everything would be all right and that there was always something worth fighting for. At the moment, he was trying to keep the little shred of dignity and chivalry he had left in tact.

Something inside him, however, told him he was failing miserably and probably looked like a little boy in desperate need of a loving hug and a good dollop of doctoring, based on the looks Aerith was giving him.

"Hey," she said softly, "I was beginning to worry. There's no need to go out when you know you're not feeling well."

Cloud's cheeks flushed again at her light admonishment. "Yeah I know," he shrugged, "but you shouldn't hang around here. I'll be fine in a few hours."

Aerith shook her head, fixing the blankets that were tossed loosely over Cloud's body. The way she took care of him and the air around her caused Cloud to contemplate how wonderful of a mother Aerith would be to her own children, provided she ever had any. This thought prompted further ideas that Cloud didn't know he was capable of and caused him to turn his head away from her, unable to maintain his gaze.

"There's no shame in taking care of someone you care about," she stated matter of factly. The atmosphere around them suddenly changed. Cloud turned to gaze at her and noticed her head was tilted slightly downward, her eyes gazing off to the side. Squinting slightly, Cloud could make out a streak of pink across her gentle features. His heart fluttered and that warm feeling burned in his chest; he suddenly felt…timid.

The spell was broken when a knock came at the door and Tifa stepped in, looking very concerned.

"Oh Cloud, are you alright?" she asked. Cloud huffed and lay his head back into the pillow, shutting his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm okay," he sighed, willing the blush on his face to go away and his breathing to stop its erratic pattern. He heard Tifa sigh in relief and heard her footsteps grow closer. She was standing at the foot of the bed, smiling warmly at her friend. Cloud nodded and looked over at Aerith who was smiling at him as well. For a brief moment it felt awkward to have both girls giving him such warm smiles; he credited it to having such wonderful friends.

"Are you sure?" Tifa asked, looking somewhat hopeful. Cloud nodded.

"Yeah, Aerith's with me," he stated, glancing over at the flower girl. Aerith's green eyes widened slightly and a glow emerged in them, resulting in another blush, a deeper shade of red than before, to spread across her cheeks and make her face shine. Cloud couldn't help but chuckle at her expression. A flicker of sadness flashed in Tifa's ruby eyes. Cloud didn't see it. She excused herself out of the room and shut the door behind her.

She walked down the hall of Chocobo Billy's home, ignoring the ache in her heart and the tears that were stinging her eyes. Tifa knew how deep Aerith's feelings for Cloud ran. She had only hoped that somewhere in his heart, Cloud harbored those feelings but for herself instead. Tifa's hopes of that happening were dashed as she began to take notice of the glances gave Aerith, which were quite often. And now, back in the room, his eyes held such a feeling it seemed almost palpable. It hurt her heart to know that she had never received such a look from Cloud. He looked at her the way he looked at the rest of his team, but Aerith, his smiles and laughs were reserved for only her.

And now it seemed that his heart, too, had flown into the gentle hands of the flower girl of the slums.

Tifa wrapped her arms around herself, feeling cold.

_'__Yeah…I guess we just weren't meant to be…'_ Tifa wiped the stray tears from her eyes as she rounded a corner and walked out into the sunshine._ 'Cloud and Aerith they…'_.

_"Aerith's voice…I can feel her…"_ Tifa recalled Cloud stating one day. She didn't understand it back then; couldn't understand it now. It was a feeling that she supposed one who had found their other half could feel.

"I'll be okay," she said to herself and shut her eyes, embracing the warm rays of the sun.

-

She knew she should be in bed, but unable to sleep, Aerith tiptoed away from the house and wandered over to the barnyard, where she watched the chocobos sleep, and cooed at one who was still up. She was dressed in her nightgown, a simple cotton gown that was draped loosely over her petite frame and the small slippers she wore were slightly dirtied by the dirt below.

Poking her finger through the hinged door, Aerith cooed at the chocobo softly, earning a happy squeak back. Aerith giggled, sliding her hand all the way through and petting the golden bird's head. Here it was were she felt at peace, able to ignore all her troubles and the fluttering of her heart whenever Cloud came around. True, she never showed it, but her face would grow warm and her heart would skip a beat every now and then whenever Cloud was near.

True, he looked a lot like Zack and few of their traits were the same, over time, Aerith saw Cloud emerge from the shadow that was Zack and proved to her that he was not this man from her past, but a man she wanted to share her future with. Zack was lively and grand, big on life; Cloud was not. His introverted personality grew on Aerith and his natural shyness endeared him to her. Most of all, behind all his similarities to Zack, all on his own, Cloud had shown Aerith deeper. Aerith saw his heart, how badly it was wounded and she realized how much she wanted to heal it; to protect Cloud and remain by his side forever.

Granted she wanted to help him, the kindness and chivalry he showed, his sincere concern and boyish timidity drew her in, and in time, Aerith had fallen in love with Cloud Strife, and all traces of Zack disappeared from view. She saw who Cloud was; he was the man who literally fell into her life. He was the confused soldier who's past was an enigma. His rival was the most dangerous man in the world, his heart damaged and his personality withdrawn.

And Aerith loved him. Loved him more than she had ever loved anyone, and would need nothing more than his arms around her, holding her close and remaining by her side forever. The tragic man from Nibelheim…the love of her life…Aerith shut her eyes and sighed softly.

"Aerith, what are you doing here?"

Aerith withdrew her hand from the chocobo pen and whipped around to see Cloud staring at her, his familiar incredulous look plastered on his face. Aerith laughed half in relief, half in the irony of being caught by Cloud. She stood up and dusted her gown slightly.

"I couldn't sleep, so I came out to keep the chocobos company," she chirped. Cloud raked a hand through his golden hair and shrugged.

"Figures you would do something like that," he said. Aerith smiled at him.

They stood in silence, neither moving or saying a word. Aerith simply gazed around her, while Cloud was in a bit of a daze, entranced by the moonlight that was peeking through the cracks of the roof, lighting Aerith up like a soft candle. She looked so innocent and comfortingly sublime. Beautiful, really, but Cloud always thought she was.

He was startled out of his daze when he felt Aerith's warm hands slide into his own. She was gazing down.

"Do you remember when we first met?" she asked softly.

"…Yeah…I saw you out on the streets of sector 5...you were selling your flowers and I bought one…" Cloud replied, his mind wandering to that time.

Aerith's expression was one of surprise, in awe and touched that he remembered the first moment he first laid eyes on her. She too, remembered that day, but had been speaking of their formal meeting at the church. Tears welled in her eyes and she giggled slightly.

"I didn't think you'd remember that day…I was talking about our meeting in the church."

Cloud paused for a moment. "Oh. Well, I remember that day too," he grinned sheepishly.

"Cloud…"

-

"Oh #$, now what the hell did you do, Strife?" Cid sighed. Barret and Vincent stood around the table in the kitchen, staring at the blue eyed soldier. Tifa and Yuffie had gone out with Chocobo Billy to collect greens for the animals while Barret, Cid and Vincent had stayed to make repairs on the Highwind. Cloud, on the other hand, had been busy returning a favor to a certain flower girl.

"I didn't do anything! I guess Aerith must've caught it from me and now she's ill," Cloud scratched the back of his head. "Just thought I'd let you guys know; I should be heading back to her room."

As he walked away, he could hear Barret and Cid mumbling obscenities and Vincent remained in his usual silence stupor. Upon entering the room, Cloud was greeted with the tender sight of Aerith lying in bed, sound asleep. He walked to her bedside and sat quietly, taking her hand into his own and raising it to his lips.

Cloud kissed her hand, shutting his eyes and recalling the final moments of their time spent together the previous night.

-

"Cloud…"

Cloud looked at Aerith's blushing face as she stared up at him. Wordlessly, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest, shutting her eyes and breathing deeply. That warm feeling in his chest was burning, aching, almost making him feel like he was going to explode. It was a feeling he had been denying more and more often, knowing it was foolish to believe it, but unconsciously accepting that it was there and it was growing more each and every day.

He had fallen madly in love with Aerith.

The gentle flower girl he met in the most dreary part of Midgar had grown into his heart and gave him a vision he had never imagined for himself; he never dreamed of even wanting it.

He saw himself by her side for the rest of their lives. Aerith dressed in pure white as she whispered 'I do' with endless love and tears in her eyes, the foggy gaze of her emerald eyes as their love escalated to its highest physical form, and the palpable beauty of her heart. Such thoughts startled him, but Aerith was someone who awoke so many feelings and caused his heart to flutter and feel as if it were going to burst.

Somewhere along the line, Cloud forgot about the mission to save the Planet. This Planet was her planet; the Planet of her people. And if saving it were to make her happy, then Heaven willing, he would save it. Her smile was the sun in his days, the moon and starlight of his nights. When Aerith became so important to his life, he couldn't remember.

Cloud shut his eyes and rested his chin atop Aerith's head, enveloping her in his arms. He couldn't be close enough, it seemed and pulled her closer until he was sure they would meld together and become one, as he often believed they were. He could hear her…he could feel her even when she wasn't around; it was in that that Cloud believed love to be true. He couldn't explain it any other way.

"I want to stay with you, Cloud…" Aerith spoke softly. "Forever and ever…stay with me?"

Cloud held her tighter.

"Yeah…I'll stay with you…I want to stay with you…"

"Forever and ever?"

Cloud pulled away slightly and lifted her chin to have her gaze up at him.

"I'm your bodyguard, right? Forever and ever."

"And if we get separated--?"

"We won't. I can hear you…I can feel you even when you're not here."

"So can I…Oh Cloud, I've never felt like this before!"

"Heh, me either. Never thought I would."

"Oh Cloud I can't even say it; it's just not enough."

"I know what you mean. Nothing seems like it's enough."

Aerith raised to her tiptoes and shut her eyes as she felt Cloud's lips envelope her own. Immediately she could feel all her pent up affections run wild as she wrapped her arms around him feverishly. She guessed he felt the same, judging by how tightly he held her. After what seemed like forever, they broke apart, both blushing furiously.

With their foreheads pressed against one another's, Cloud and Aerith clasped hands, fingers intertwining.

"…so much," he whispered.

-

Aerith stirred and opened her eyes slightly, grinning at the man beside her. She gave his hand a light squeeze.

"Hey, you feeling better?" Cloud asked softly. Aerith nodded. "I'll bring you something to eat in a minute." Cloud leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Aerith caught him and kissed his cheek. He grinned at her and embraced her, taking in the fresh scent of flowers that she always seemed to carry.

"I'll be fine. You should stay with the others and relax. It's no fun being here with a sickly flower girl," she sighed, shutting her eyes.

Cloud hmm'ed, agreeing. Aerith opened her eyes and gave Cloud such a look that he had to laugh. His laughs were his secret and he wanted to share them with Aerith.

"But…," he said, taking both of her hands in his and gazing deeply into her eyes, "There's no shame in taking care of someone you care about."

- F i n -


End file.
